The Do Lectures and the new wave of unconferences

Maybe it was inevitable that the unconference trend would combine with staycation and the unstoppable rise of the low-key festival, but that is exactly the cross section that meets where the Do Lectures happens.

What has been described as 'TED meets Burning Man (though in a Welsh forest, so the Nevada desert tan is not an option) meets Where the Wild Things Are' is now in its third year. Interestingly the development of the event reflects the public expectation that we want to learn, be involved, talk, share ideas and generally have a two-way exchange with people we meet. Talks are also published online afterwards, as they are for TED. Not coincidentally, that's comparable to the shift in publishing and communication brought about by the web, whereby we now expect two-way interaction and not one-way broadcasting.

The Do Lectures co-founder David Hieatt guardian.co.uk

After the behemoth South by South West experience - 19,000 geeks in one place - the Do Lectures seems to offer a certain calmness and intimacy. Though 30 or so speakers are lined up, often the lowest-profile speakers end up becoming the most interesting. Talks cover education, sustainability, well-being, food and design, but co-founder David Hieatt told me they may begin to explore more practical sessions, which could include both web design and, intriguingly, pigkeeping. Practicality is nearly always the one thing missing from the conference and event circuit.

"The magic is often in the middle, between the music, the talks and the workshops. It exists in the canteen or over a drink, so rather than distilling thoughts on the way home, those should be thrashed out while you're there," said Hieatt. Is it the British TED? It's on nothing like that scale, but Euan Semple's write up last year paints the picture with Tim Berners-Lee, Getting Things Done author David Allen and designer Steve Edge.